16 
jg. THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
'The Winter series of le&ures, on Saturday evenings, will 
be commenced at the College in June. A large number of 
science subjects have been promised. Members of the 
Association will thus have opportunities of gleaning further 
information on matters scientific. 
The Hon. Librarian gratefully acknowledges receipt of 
the following for the month:—The Victorian Naturalist, 
Vol. VIII, No. II, from the Secretary, Melbourne ; Tran- 
sactions of the Royal Society of Victoria, Vol. II, part 2, from 
the Secretary, Melbourne; The Zoologist, (London), Vol. 
XVI. Nos. 181, 182, from the publishers; “ L’Electricien,” 
from the publishers, Paris. 
It has been discovered that feathers convey the germs of 
disease. It is alleged that yellow fever has been spread by 
bird skins sent from an infected port. 
It has been suggested that the Annual excursion 
(24th May) be celebrated at Spring Creek this year. . 
THE ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY OF A LEAF. 
By J. R. Remrrey, A.R.S. (MELB.) 
Tue following is a brief outline of a paper on the above 
subject, read at the ordinary meeting of members on February 
16th. 
Allorganized bodies are made up of cells, some living, 
some dead. There is a time in the history of every plant 
when it consists of a single cell. Some organisms never get 
beyond that stage, others are formed of an aggregation of 
cells arranged either in flat masses or in strings or filaments, 
cells all of one kind or but of few kinds, i.e. as to shape. 
The cell is the elementary organ of the plant. Every cell 
is surrounded by a wall more or less firm enclosing a mass 
of Protoplasm. This is the most wonderful and mysterious 
substance in nature; it has been known and studied since 
1840. It can produce its own substance, manufacture the 
cell wall, and exhibit all the varied phenomena of life. It is 
composed of Albuminous substances, carbon, hydrogen, 
oxygen, nitrogen, and a little sulphur, and is almost 
identical with white of egg. Its most wonderful property is 
sensibility, contractility, or irritability as it is generally 
termed. When irritated, it contracts its substance and, 
squeezes out the water which it always contains when living, 
and thus gives rise to the various spontaneous movements of 
leaves, flowers, and other parts of the plant, the most striking 
example of which we have in the leaves of the sensitive plant. | 
In the higher plants each cell contains a nucleus. This is 
